Music / Previews
Bristol’s month in metal and prog: November 2025
For those who prefer their rock old-school, there’s plenty of choice this month, from the octogenarian Arthur Brown to the mighty Focus, Quo man Francis Rossi and the still-fabulous Saxon (pictured above by Lea Stephan).
Incidentally, the rumour mill suggests that following their sold out show at SWX, Blood Ceremony will return to play the ArcTanGent festival next year. Woo-hoo!
Lost Horizons, Wed Nov 5
Purveyors of good old-fashioned theatrical dressing up box metal, ‘mediaeval fantasy doom’ act Castle Rat hail from NYC and are led by ‘Rat Queen’ Riley Pinkertyon on lead guitar/vocals and very few clothes. Each member has a different low-budget persona, including The Plague Doctor, The Count and the All-Seeing Druid, their shtick being to take on Death herself – AKA The Rat Reaperesss. Expect messy battle scenes. Castle Rat are already booked to play the Ronnie James Dio stage at Bloodstock 2026.
Fleece, Wed Nov 5
Cult Belgians who’ve established their own Church of Ra musical collective, Amenra are the kind of act lumbered with such meaningless Pseud’s Corner labels as ‘post-metal’ and ‘artcore’ to draw in our hipster friends. What they actually deliver is a hypnotic brand of droning metal, served up with complementary, often pastoral projections flooding the entire stage and backdrop. Latest album De Doorn is their first for Relapse and was described by Metal Hammer as being “as huge, stately and emotionally devastating a piece of work as you’d expect”. Since then, they’ve put out two EPs: De Toorn and Of Fang and Claw.
Fleece, Thur Nov 6
The annual Focus gig at the Fleece is always a real treat – except, perhaps, for the roadie charged with wrangling Thijs Van Leer’s vintage Hammond organ onto the stage. For the uninitiated, 77-year-old Van Leer and 79-year-old drummer Pierre van der Linden survive from the classic Focus line-up, while talented Menno Gootjes has been the band’s guitarist since 2010 and ‘new boy’ bassist Udo Pannekeet has clocked up a mere nine years’ service. There’s no new album to promote this year, the most recent being 2024’s Focus 12.
Bath Forum, Fri Nov 7
An evening of gab with the Quo frontman whose autobiography was titled I Talk Too Much, interspersed with songs – many if which he has never played live before (“in this format”). Expect all the bases to be touched: playing Top of the Pops more than 100 times, going on first at Live Aid, his occasionally fractious relationship with the late Rick Parfitt, etc.
The Crane, Fri Nov 7
The ever-woeful Eurovision Song Contest was excellent for Australia’s rather wonderful Voyager, who did better than anyone expected. Germany’s Lord of the Lost fared rather less well, winding up in 26th place, out of 26 finalists, in 2023. But that experience, alongside their tour support with Iron Maiden, certainly succeeded in raising their profile. Expect to hear the genre-fluid Hamburgers’ losing entry Blood and Glitter, plus plenty more from the album of the same title as well as tracks from the more recent Weapons of Mass Seduction.
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
Fleece, Wed Nov 12
One of rock’s hardest working octogenarians, the God of Hellfire returns to the Fleece at the age of 83. Remarkably, that powerful, operatic voice, which proved so influential on everyone from Alice Cooper to Bruce Dickinson, remains undiminished. Will he wear the helmet and play Fire? Of course he bloody well will.
Bristol Beacon, Thur Nov 13
We should be grateful that this show is going ahead, given that Saxon frontman Biff Byford hasn’t been in the best of health lately. This is something of a victory lap for the great Wheels of Steel album, with which Saxon made their name and will be played in full (for the first time, apparently) alongside songs from new Hell, Fire and Damnation album. Support comes from Germans Dirkschneider. Yep, that Dirkschneider – the band formed by former Accept frontman Udo Dirkschneider. Although, the Stocky fella always looked like a heart attack waiting to happen, he still going strong in his 70s, despite suffering some serious health issues. Tonight he’ll be playing the breakthough Balls to the Wall album in full, which, coincidentally, was the album Accept were promoting last time they played Bristol (The Hippodrome, April 1986 – hands up all those who were there too).
Electric Bristol, Sat Nov 15
Welcome return of the Swedish melodic death metallers who packed out the Exchange on their first visit to the UK in March 2024. Now signed to the Century Media label, they’ve just released their fifth album, Death Above Life.
Thekla, Fri Nov 21
Loud and cathartic metal? These raging, Scouse self-styled ‘caveman battle doomsters’ have got it in spades. Regular visitors to Bristol, their fifth album, Violence Dimension, is out now on Heavy Psych Sounds.
Exchange, Sat Nov 22
Bristol’s very own Svalbard play a hometown gig on their farewell tour. The split appears to be amicable, but it still a shame that they’re jacking it all in at this stage of their upward trajectory, which included an excellent show at ArcTanGent in 2023.
Trinity, Sun Nov 30
Yes – they’ve returned! Ed Wynne seemed intent on pursuing a solo career for a while, which was a bit odd given that the Ozrics were largely a family affair, but now they’re back with their unique brand of trippy instrumental space rock.
COMING SOON
Here’s our essential diary of upcoming gigs that should be of interest to anyone of a rockin’ disposition.
Jared James Nichols, Thekla, Dec 1
Steeleye Span, St. George’s, Dec 2
Nothing More, O2 Academy, Dec 6
Katatonia, Electric Bristol, Dec 8
Orange Goblin, Electric Bristol, Dec 14
Clutch, Bristol Beacon, Dec 15
Swallow the Sun, Thekla, Dec 17
Fury, Exchange, Dec 18
Evil Scarecrow, Thekla, Dec 19
Cryptopsy/200 Stab Wounds/Inferi/Corpse Pile, Fleece, Jan 19
Epica/Amaranthe/Charlotte Wessels, Bristol Beacon, Jan 20
Anna Von Hausswolff, Thekla, Jan 25
Pentagram, Thekla, Feb 2
Sanguisugabogg, Fleece, Feb 16
Avatar/Alien Weapnry, O2 Academy, Feb 18
Smith/Kotzen, O2 Academy, Feb 20
Hayseed Dixie, Fleece, March 3
10cc, Bristol Beacon, March 24
Infected Rain/Butcher Babies/Black Spikes, Fleece, March 29
Full Ov Hell, Fleece, April 7
Blackbraid, Fleece, April 9
Yes, Bristol Beacon, April 30
Love with Johnny Echols, Fleece, April 30
Jethro Tull, Bristol Beacon, May 10
Voyage 35, O2 Academy, Sept 15
Steve Hackett, Bristol Beacon, Oct 7
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